Former Maryland Lieutenant Governor, Michael Steele, burst on to the national political scene as a Republican candidate for the United States Senate in 2006. He lost the race to then congressman Ben Cardin. Steele has since assumed the post of Chairman of GOPAC, a Republican political action committee focused on training the next generation of Republican candidates. Steele can be seen regularly as a guest commentator on Fox News.

1. Is Chairman of GOPAC a full-time job?
It is a volunteer job. I do it out of my sheer love for the Party and for the legacy of GOPAC. It is an honest commitment to build a genuine farm team for the Republican Party across the country. We are committed to shaking the Party at its roots and to get us refocused on the mission. We must reestablish trust with the American people and present a comprehensive vision of this country and the legacy that so many have left for us. Those are the things that motivate me every day.

It is a wonderful organization with a thirty year history. It is rich and replete with success. [For example], the 1994 takeover of the House was done by the farm team that Newt had put in place between 1988 and 1994.

2. For twelve years, Republicans had significantly more control than they do now, not only in setting the agenda, but in passing legislation. Looking back, what are your greatest disappointments?
In 1994 the people entrusted us with the most precious gift they can give any politician and any government, and that is their support and their vote. And they did so because of the Contract with America. And over the next twelve years, our Republican party, through its leadership, its programs, and its legislation--both introduced and not introduced--systematically abrogated that Contract.

In 2006, we paid the price. The voters summarily rejected us, not so much what the Republicans stand for, but because we had become what the Party had replaced. So there was no further incentive for them to support our candidates, our cause, and the things that we hold dear.

The 2006 election [was] the people of this country saying, "Until you reestablish your faith in us, we will not have faith in you."

When you have "Bridges to Nowhere", the misappropriation of funds through earmarks, misbehavior among members of Congress, failure to come to a commonsense consensus on issues like energy, healthcare, and immigration, you lose the faith of the people. The one thing that Republicans have to remember is that we are not given the same breaks as Democrats are given. Therefore, when we are given the responsibility of leadership, we have to lead.

3. In 2008, Republicans are going to return to the American people and ask them to restore Republicans to power. Is it too soon? Have the Republicans lost credibility that will take more time to reestablish?
Remember, our opponents are still the Democrats. We should say more than just, "We aren't the other guy." We need to lay out a clear vision for the safety and security of this country and continued economic prosperity. We have the right candidates running for president and we have the right candidates running at the grassroots level who can provide that leadership. We just need to get our act together and go onto the battlefield and engage. We cannot just sit back and demonize Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton and think that is going to get us elected. It's just not going to work that way.

4. How have the low approval ratings of the Bush administration and Congress affected GOPAC's ability to be effective and raise money at the grassroots level?
I don't think it has in any measurable way. Our focus is working with and training the next generation of political leaders.

5. Explain how technology is different now than in elections past and how that technology will impact the upcoming election.
It is night and day. If you [compare] when GOPAC was started in 1978, when individuals did not have computers at their desks and the Internet was not even a figment of Al Gore's imagination, we now have a very different approach.

In the early days we had cassette tapes and newsletters [to convey our message]. Today, we have a variety of technology tools at our disposal. We have to use them to stay relevant. We have to blog. We have to get involved in all the ways people receive and convey information. And we're doing that... to reach the voters, convey the message, train the candidates and be effective in our message.

6. Can you explain the impact of the blogs at the grassroots level?
It is instant communication. However, it can be tricky because people can start sharing their opinions before all of the facts are available [which can lead to] a cascade of incorrect information. The responsibility of bloggers to be accurate is certainly no less important than delivering information quickly. I believe blogging and bloggers have a transformative effect on politics because it is instantaneous. It has an immediacy to which candidates and political operatives are still trying to adapt. It can have both a heartwarming and a heartburning effect.

7. Technology in politics is like the Wild West and it is happening right before our eyes.
It is. I really like that analogy. However, one has to be both very cautious and very accurate about the information that is being imparted. That's what we try to do when we are providing information to our candidates up and down the line.

8. What specific influences in your life drew you to the Republican party?
Two... my mother and Ronald Reagan. That said, my mother is a card carrying Roosevelt Democrat. I often tell her that she raised me so well, I became a Republican. Ronald Reagan taught me the power of the individual to have an impact and that one person can make a difference. This great country is still a shining city on a hill, but most importantly, the light in that city is each one of us. I have coupled that idea with my study of the Republican party and note that the Republican party is the political home of African Americans. That makes this Party the perfect fit for me.

Now I don't agree with everything the leadership says or does, but that's the beauty of being a Republican. I know that in the expanse of our Party, there is room for us to work through the issues and create the best opportunities for the people of this country.

9. You mentioned the African American community. They vote overwhelmingly Democrat. What is it going to take for African Americans to embrace Republican values?
It's not so much about the African American community embracing Republican values; it's about what the Republican party is going to do to embrace African American values.

We're looking at this the wrong way. You look at any African American, especially those in their 50s or 60s or older, they will tell you that they didn't walk away from the Republican party, but that the Party walked away from them.

In order to reintroduce ourselves to the African American community, we have to be present in the black community. It's hard work. It's heavy lifting because you have a lot of skeptics and a lot of doubters. It doesn't happen overnight, and there are no guarantees.

10. What's next for Michael Steele?
I take each moment as it comes. My mother told me to always be prepared. I try to prepare myself everyday for whatever may show up on my doorstep that day, for whatever opportunity may come my way. That's the Republican spirit. Am I looking at future elected office? Absolutely. Right now, however, my focus is on GOPAC and engaging in the battle that lies ahead.